Wednesday, August 23, 2006

EMail Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

By Jo Ann Joy

You must give the readers the ongoing opportunity to “opt out” or “unsubscribe” and stop receiving your emails. This requires you to have an auto-responder so that you can automatically "unsubscribe" anyone that requests it. If you convince people to accept your emails and give you their email addresses, you have to think of ways to hold their interest.

I receive emails every day from coaches, experts, and others who claim to have the secrets to one thing or another. After the first few emails, I noticed that they were long and redundant and stopped being interesting. They did not provide me with any benefit, and I “unsubscribed.” You need a short email that packs a punch by offering discounts or some other benefit that they can only obtain from you.

If you cannot offer a discount, then provide original, helpful information that will give them a reason to read your emails. Give them information or advice about their business that will be useful and convince them that they will benefit from a visit your website. Keep the information concise, and use numbers of bullet-points.

Your email must capture attention with its headline and entice the reader to open the email. In the email be sure you include multiple links to your website, and tell readers who you are and why they can rely on your information. For example, provide a very short bio with an informational email. However, spend very little time talking about yourself and your business. Email marketing concentrates on customer benefits.

Your email will be more attention-grabbing if you include photos and graphics. The links on your email should direct the reader to a landing page that describes your product or service. Directing the reader to a landing page is more effective than directing them to your home page. Be sure that your website contains a Privacy Policy that assures people that you will not sell or misuse any personal information.

Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

Discover the secrets to success and grow.

About the author:

Jo Ann Joy is the CEO and owner of Indigo Business Solutions, a legal and business consulting firm that is a “one stop shop” for small businesses. We provide legal and business services and all professional services for businesses, and they will not be "referred out" to other professionals.

Jo Ann has a law degree, an MBA, and an Economics degree. She is a strategic business attorney who works closely with businesses to improve their performance and their chance of success. Her background includes commercial, corporate, contracts, real estate, accounting, financial planning, mortgages, marketing, product development, banking, and business planning and strategies. She ran a successful business for 10 years and writes and gives presentations on many different legal, tax, and business subjects.

Please visit our website at http://www.IndigoBusinessSolutions.net for more information on business, legal, and tax topics and for free copies of articles.